Colombia...do not overstay your visa!

[likeohmygod]

Once I did already post a similar thread about Brazil. (Which you can find at the end of this post.)

This is a question which always made me curious, and on my last trip to Colombia I met a sexy guy which also turned out to be an immigration officer.

What I am about to write is valid even if you don't need the visa to visit Colombia as a tourist (90 days visa exempt stay).

While overstaying in Brazil will result in most of the cases in a small and progressive fine (and a big horrible stamp on your passport which will ban you from the country for some months in some rare cases), doing that in Colombia could be worse, since it will really depend on how friendly the agents will like to be with you (probably not a lot since you're an outlaw guest).

If your visa has expired, first of all you will probably have problems to board the plane to leave Colombia, until you haven't gone to one of the migration offices which can be found in every big city. So if you realize you've overstayed, go there at least 2/3 days before your return trip.That's where your situation will get fixed. Not saying that will be something pleasant, since the fine (which is the smallest problem in some cases) can range from 400k COP up to 5 million COP (140-1600 USD). The amount will be different case by case, depending also on what's the reason why you've overstayed. Many people are also asked to write and sign a letter where you're officially saying that you're sorry and that you'll never overstay again.

Let's say that there are 3 possible common scenarios (and remember that depending on how convincing and enjoyable you are, outcomes will vary a lot even inside the same scenario):

1) A person with a 90 days tourist visa which forgot to ask for the 90 days extension and overstayed because of that (still less than 180 days of stay, and less than 90 days of overstay). In this case, you'll get your 90 days extension but you will pay the fine in the lower range. In some cases you won't get fined at all.

2) A person with an already extended 90+90 days tourist visa, or any other visa which overstayed (less than 180 days of overstay). In this case the fine will not be the minimum. Depending on the situation a formal letter of excuse will be required. A 15 days special permit will be issued to allow to legally leave the country. In some cases you might get a temporary ban from entering Colombia (a couple of months) + huge shitty stamp on the passport.

3) Case 2, but with an overstay longer than 180 days. You will probably be deported, even if depending on the situation the person will be offered to pay the fine at its maximum amount possible before being ordered to leave the country. A 1 to 10 years ban will be likely from Colombia and you will anyway result as if you've already been denied your visa + huge shitty stamp on the passport.

Keep in mind that case 3 (but also case 2 sometimes) could cause you tons of problems when asking for a visa to enter another country (even if you don't need the visa, you might not be allowed to enter), especially if part of the MERCOSUL. The stamp is not a big problem since you can always get a new passport, but that won't delete your record from the police database. And remember that once you've been banned from Colombia, you might need a visa for the next stay, even if you're from a visa-exempt country.

 

[paulsf]

This is pretty much the same rules as in Thailand.  Another thing that is happening is with modern technology.  After your passport has been Red Stamped all over the place for very long overstays and your being deported, they are notifying your home country of deportation making it difficult to get a new passport to go anywhere. 

[msclelovr]

Very much the same type of penalties if you overstay on a tourist visa when visiting some countries in Africa. You may well have to write an apology and pay a small fine. 

I once fell ill and was hospitalized for 2 weeks in Africa, and as a result overstayed my visa. Travel agents and tour guides assured me it would not be a problem but when I got to the airport it was. Only after a heated discussion with the Immigration official - I had a medical letter with me and I explained I had been in a coma for 11 days - did he agree NOT to mark my passport!